Drowning the Past
by JokingJester
Summary: People leave...they always leave." she whispered as she thought back on the boy that had left her behind without so much of a 'good bye'. And yet, she still loves him. Claire x Cliff
1. Prologue

A/N: Hello everyone who's actually reading the Author's Note. (I know I usually don't....) Well, new story, but only testing it to see how people respond to it. It's a Claire x Cliff story, but it's going to be a tragic I think, well, that's how I plan it to be. You never know, it may become a happy ending. Well, I hope you like it, but don't keep your hopes up for the next chapter to come out as fast as HMD, like I said, I want to see people's opinion first before continuing the story. If ppl don't really respond to it, I will stop writing it. I'll be doing this testing thing with some more stories later, so be ready to see some new stories in the future.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon.

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Drowning the Past

Prologue

"_I've had enough of this!! You rarely talk to me, neither do you ever remember to give me a birthday present or invite me on a date like any other boy." She shouted, waving her arms out, feeling like tearing her hair out as she stared at the young man in front of her. _

"…"

"_Even now when I'm yelling my lungs out at you…you stay quiet." She whimpered quietly, chuckling a bit at his reaction. A cold hard stare. _

"…"

"…_May I ask you something?"_

"…" _He nodded solemnly. _

"_Do you love me? Have you ever loved me…or did you agree to be my boyfriend out of pity?"_

"…" _He stayed quiet, looking away from the girl who was standing in front of him. Tears started to escape her aqua blue eyes as she waited for an answer…she never got one. _

_Waiting is like death. You never know if the outcome would fill your heart with happiness…or would shred you into a million pieces. It's terrifying. _

_The next day when she went over to his house, she was informed by his mother that he has left the island and doesn't wish to see her again. Asking his mother where he went was utterly pointless since his mother despised her since the day they were together. She would merely sneer at the sight of the tears leaking from the eyes of the girl in front of her. _

_Was love ever this cruel? Was it something she did wrong to deserve this kind of treatment? She'll never know. As she raised her head up high and screamed her lungs out to the sky, she kneeled onto the ground and waited. She just waited slowly for time to kill her. _

"_Why……?" She asked, before collapsing onto the ground out of fatigue. _

_

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I know, i know...it's SUPER short, as you can see, it's a prologue, so it's supposed to be short. (in my dictionary...) Well, if you want me to continue writing it, please review and I will...one day. :P


	2. It's in the Stars

Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon

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I

It's In the Stars

The sound of the horn thundered throughout the mountains as the captain of the boat called out to the people who were planning on going onto the boat. People were chattering endlessly, finally they were going on an adventure. The sound of feet squishing onto the wet mud was restless as people aboard the small ferry. From faraway, there was a voice shouting towards the boat, her feet running as fast as it could support her and her rucksack.

"Wait! Please wait!" She called out, one of the crew members noticed her calling and told the captain to wait. When she finally jogged up to the boat, she was panting endlessly, out of breath.

"You okay miss?" The sailor asked, patting her back. She nodded as an answer before giving him her ticket. "Is there anyone else wishing to go?" He asked again.

"None that…I saw…" She answered, straightening her back and walking onto the boat. As the captain called out again that they were about to leave, no one else came running so they aboard the boat and took off.

Claire sighed, she looked back at the huge mountain valley that she knew, that she grew up. She has made her decision, she's leaving. 5 years ago, the boy she ever loved left and now, it was her turn to leave too. After that very day, she never felt the same without him. Her smile has melted away along with her happiness and was replaced with her usual frowning. Everywhere she went on the mountain, it reminds her of him, they both have traveled the mountains since they were kids, marking each spot their 'territory'. If moving from this place was the only way she could get a life, she would do it. She has waited 5 years to graduate from school, she's not waiting anymore.

"Hey there." A voice disturbed and took her away from her thoughts. Looking over to see who called her, she noticed a dark man, smiling to her in a friendly manner. She nodded back, showing no expression whatsoever on her face before looking back to the sea.

"Mind if I stand here?" He asked, again he did not receive any answer than a mere nod of approval. "Thanks." He leaned in and watched the waves with her. There was a moment of silence, neither spoke a word until he started talking again. "I'm Kai by the way. What's your name beautiful?" He asked, a flirtatious grin tugging on his lips.

"Claire." She answered monotonously, she didn't even look at him, which bothered him a bit. Ever since he saw her boarding the ferry, he could not help but feel that he needs to talk to her.

"Nice meeting you, Claire." He held out his hand for a handshake but never got one. He embarrassingly took his hand back, never in his life was he humiliated by a girl. He ruffled his hair and flexed his muscles, no response. "So…where you going?" He continued to make a conversation, but with her, it was a question an answer kind of talk.

"Somewhere." She replied. There was another awkward silence before one of them broke it, but this time it was Claire. She turned to face him and gave him a weak smile before apologizing. "I'm sorry, I must be acting rudely aren't I? It's nice to meet you, Kai." She hold out her hand, Kai took one look at it, making sure she won't be taking it back to point at his face and laugh. After being sure, he took her hand and shook it, giving her a smile in return.

"So, you going somewhere?" He asked again, but to his disappointment, her answer stayed the same.

"Yeah…somewhere." Her blue sky eyes lingered on the restless seas, her thoughts wandered on where her destination was, even she herself didn't know where she was going. _'Where AM I going?' _She thought to herself, confused and frustrated that she forgot to plan things first.

Kai noticed the frustration on her face and reached out to stroke her back. His movement gave her quite a shock as she jumped at the touch of his hand on her bare back. He didn't look at her, neither did he remove his hand, he merely instructed, "Take a deep breath, and let it go, you'll figure out something."

Puzzled at how he knew what she was thinking, she did what he said, taking a deep breath and instead of letting it go, she let out a loud roar. Her abrupt shouting made all the other passengers, including Kai, jump. "Phew…that did feel a bit better…like I can think a little more clearly…" Claire said after her small wild act.

"Hahahahaha!! And here I thought you were a small little shrimp with no guts. I guess I was wrong about you, Claire." He laughed out loud, ruffling Claire's blond hair into a mess. Claire grunted and squirmed until he finally stopped. "You mind if I call you 'shrimp'?" He asked, teasingly.

"Of course I mind." She frowned, but she couldn't help but smile a bit when Kai gave her puppy dog eyes. For someone who she has just met, she felt like she knew him for a ling time already. "And why should I allow you to call me that? It's not like you're ever going to see me again."

"Yeah, you're right. But we're staying on this boat for some time before we reach anywhere, and I want to get to know you more. So why not…'Shrimp'?" He tilted his head and ruffled her head again, a glint of trickster in his eyes.

"But then if I get close to you, if I become friends with you…one day you'll leave. Everyone leaves…" Her face twisted into a solemn little girl once more, the idea of having someone leave her again haunts her, if it were to happen, she doesn't know if she can cope with it. As she begun to be lost in her thoughts, she let out a surprised shriek when Kai's hand reached out to grab hold of her cheeks and stretch it into a smile.

"You really gotta learn to smile more often. Even when I'm stretching your cheeks, you look like a girl that just lost her puppy. And hey, I know that everyone leaves one day, we all have to, human nature and all…but I can promise you something…we'll definitely meet each other again. It's in the stars." Kai grinned, but immediately stopped at Claire's comment.

"What stars? It's daytime." Claire innocently asked, poking her head out of the boat to look at the sky clearly.

"Jeez Shrimp, you really do know how to ruin a mood setting." Kai sighed, ruffling his own hair as he chuckled at Claire's frowning face at being called 'shrimp', but couldn't resist letting out a chuckle.

"Guess I'm being too paranoid…you're right, I'm sure we'll see each other again someday, the world _is _round. One day we'll bump into each other." Her smile grew a bit bigger, ever since the day that boy left her, she have never smiled or laugh this much. Maybe fate sent this man named Kai to help her.

"Damn right." As the captain called out that lunch is being served, Kai grabbed Claire's hand and led her to the dining hall.

As they seated themselves in one of the many tables with plates in their hands filled with different kinds of food, they started talking about each other. Where they came from, their family, their childhood, everything. It has been a long time since Claire spoke this much, and she was enjoying every minute of it. She learned that Kai was a traveler of the sea, he has been to many places and has met many people from different nations, and that he was going to visit his cousin, Denny, on another island.

For the past few days, it has been nothing but fun and laughter for Claire, she's never met such an interesting man who could make her laugh anytime she felt sad. He made her do things that she normally wouldn't do herself. He took her sunbathing on the roof, took her karaoke-ing in front of everyone on the boat (and in the end, people threw things at the couple to shut them up), he took her scuba-diving (but eventually they had to quickly swim after the boat before it left them in the middle of nowhere), and sneaked her inside the kitchen for a midnight snack. It was safe for Claire to say that ever since she met him, their time on the boat was the most exciting and fun time she had in her life. Sadly, all things have to come to an end. Time doesn't stop, it goes on.

"I don't want you to go…" Claire moaned, pulling on Kai's bag as the boat reached Kai's destination.

"I did tell you that you could come with me, but you said you had to go somewhere else." Kai flicked her forehead, reminding her of her own words.

"I know but......I'm going to miss you, and who knows when we're ever going to see each other again?" She continued to complain, pouting her lips and shaking her head.

"EVERYONE LEAVING, PLEASE LEAVE NOW!!" The captain called again, catching both Kai's and Claire's attention. Kai sighed, pulling off his bandana and tying it on Claire's head instead.

"I have to go, this is a promise that one day we'll see each other again. I'll have to come back to get my bandana one day, so take good care of it." Kai winked, running out of the boat and turning back to wave to his friend. Claire waved back, tears swelling at her eyes as she tried hard not to let it out.

"I WILL!!! YOU BETTER KEEP YOUR PROMISE YOU JERK!!" Claire shouted to Kai, giving him a wide smile, the widest she was able to make. Kai chuckled, giving her a salute before disappearing into the distance.

_We'll definitely meet each other again. It's in the stars._

"It better be…" She mumbled, flumping down onto the wooden floor as she started to cry. "…It better be."

'_I'll be with you always. Promise.' He said, holding onto her as he stroke her honey-color hair._

"It better be…" She cried harder, the last time she trusted a man, he ended up breaking his promise and her heart.

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A/N: Hi there, I'm sorry about taking such a long time to update this story and **Just One Night**. It's just that I was planning on finishing **Hello My Darling **first before continuing these two short stories, but it's taking me such a long time to finish it, so I'm just going to update these two, but slowly.

I'd like to thank you the people who helped me by reviewing ...

**.Amberleaf.**

**Gwendolyn368**

**girl **

**Shimmerleaf**

**LovinHoneyXDHoneyLovin**

**teacupz'**

...You guys are the bomb. Here's chapter 2, dedicated to you guys.

And just to be clear, this is still a Claire x Cliff, Cliff is coming later. :) Don't forget to review okay? Please? D:


	3. City Lights and Skyscrapers

II

City Lights and Skyscrapers

"Ladies and Gentlemen! This is the last destination before we head back to **** mountains. We hope you enjoyed your stay and hope we see you again." The captain shouted, as he and the crew waved good bye to the left over passengers who were leaving the ship. After their 5 day trip, they have reached the city. The neon signs were blazing through the darkened alleys and helicopters were soaring through the pitch black sky. Everybody who left the boat slowly walked away from one another, parting ways to do what they needed to do in the city, leaving only one person alone on the pier, Claire.

"So this is the city?" She murmured, looking around her surroundings, she clutched onto her bag a little tighter, nervousness filling the pit of her stomach. Never before had she left the mountains or wandered anywhere far from it since she was a child.

The mountains where she lived just so happens to be on a big island in the middle of the - - - - - - [fill in made-up name of your choice] ocean. The whole population of the island was made up of 196 human bodies, including Claire herself. Every now and then, a ship would pass by the island to take passengers to places on their agenda. In a year, about 10-15 people would leave the island, thus the reason why the population is so small. From the day Cliff left the mountains, it has been 5 years since before the boat passed by again.

Clueless as to where she should go, Claire started wandering in the streets, continuously looking at the tourist guide book that she received from one of the sailors. It seems that there was a resting spot for tourists nearby that was cheap enough for the amount of money she kept with her.

It took her some time before she approached the shabby-looking three-story shack. In front of the building was decorated with old, cracked flowerpots and there was a sign hanging on the door saying 'Moby Dick's Inn'. There was the famous white colored whale sticker plastered on the doors, which looked as if they would come down any second. The building was aged no doubt due to the sound of creaks every now and then as she walked on the floor or someone on the upper floor strode by. It was safe for her to say that her house in the mountains was a lot more presentable than 'Moby Dick's Inn'.

"What could I do for you hon'?" The overweight woman with a cigarette sticking from her mouth asked, while flipping through a hip woman's magazine without glancing at Claire.

"Um…" Claire started to hesitate, she didn't know what she should say since she never done this before. "I would like a…room? Please?"

"Yeah…seems like today's a full day, sorry hon. You should try somewhere else." She waved her hand to shoo the blonde girl away, eyes still looking at the magazine.

Without another word, the lady pulled out a sign that says 'FULL' in red letters out from under her desk to place in on the desk. Claire winced as she walked out of the building, feeling three pairs of eyes watching her as she did so. Her stomach let out a loud grumble as a couple waltzed pass her, both holding food in their hands. Claire swallowed the saliva building in her mouth as she went over to sit on a bench nearby. Grateful for the street light next to the bench, she took out the guide book again to decide what her next move should be.

"Hey lil' darlin'. Whatchu' doin' out here all alone at night?" A group of 3 thugs walked up to Claire. Claire looked up from her book and answered them, oblivious to their intentions.

"I don't have a place to stay since 'Moby Dick's Inn' was full. Do you have anywhere to recommend?" She asked, her large blue eyes filled with hope. To the dense men, it seemed as if she liked them back and was willing to let them get in her pants. They smiled and signaled her to follow them.

"Yeah, we know a place, come with us." One of them invited as the other grabbed her arm to be sure that she wouldn't run away. Before Claire felt the hint of danger vibrating from the three men, she was unable to move due to their grasp.

"No!! I changed my mind, please let me go!!" She yelled while tears were already streaking down her eyes unintentionally. Thoughts of pure hatred towards the city passed her mind as she was wriggling and kicking in attempts to escape, but to no avail did their hold loosen. They were about to slap her when a voice came from behind them.

"There they are officer!! Catch them!" Without a second thought, all three men cussed loudly as they dropped Claire onto the ground and ran. Claire was still crying her eyes as the man who rescued her came up to her.

"Hey now, you're safe, did they hurt you anywhere?" The man asked, he was tentatively touching her to see if she was hurt. As Claire looked up to see her hero, there in front of her was a huge muscular man in a deep blue tank top and black cargo pants. She timidly shook her head, her tears running out slowly as they turned into mere sniffles.

"T-thank you…"She squeaked, her voice still a little strained from crying. She received a kind, playful smile in return.

"It was nothing, there were no police anyway. But don't tell them that." He teased, giving her a wide smile, showing all his pearly whites. "So…what's a pretty girl like you doing here?" He asked, it was weird to see a girl who looked innocent and pure in one of the darkest and dangerous place in the city.

"I just got here…I was looking for someone actually. Are you from around here? Perhaps you know the person I'm looking for, he should be here for 5 years or so." Her voice trailed off into silence as she approached the end of her sentence. Although her heart still aches every time she mentions him, she could not stop herself from wanting to find him to demand answers.

"Nah…I'm not from around here, but I do come here often. Tell me his name, maybe I heard of him before. Maybe." He couldn't help himself from giving her help, seeing how she almost got raped and she was crying a few minutes ago, he wanted to do nothing more than help her.

As she explained to the nice stranger about Cliff, his name, how he is, his facial features, every little detail she could muster from her memory, his eyes widened even more. What were the odds that the person she was looking for was someone that he knew?

"Cliff?? Yeah, I know him, but he isn't here. You got the wrong place, he _was _here once, but that was before he went to Mineral Town with me 3 years ago." Claire's jaw dropped dramatically, shocked about how lucky she was to meet Cliff's acquaintance.

"Can you take me to him?" Her eyes desperate and pleading, he thought for a moment before agreeing to take her to Mineral Town.

"It's a one day trip to the island, I'll take you on my boat when I'm done with my work here…which will be when I deliver this to the market." With that he lifted the box of produce at the back of him and walked forward, Claire following him.

"I'm Zack by the way. What's your name?" He asked.

"Claire, call me Claire." She smiled. Maybe the city wasn't so bad after all.

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Wooo...yeah...how late was I? Months? I have a great excuse for my lateness. Well, I did move into a new school, so that took time. I lost my motivation to write, that's a big reason why I didnt continue writing. Luckily, I got my motivation back, for now, so I should be able to upload some more if people still want to read my stories.

Yupp, so that was chapter 2, Cliff isn't here yet, but he's coming, so Cliff-fans, hold your horses. :) He'll come for sure. I already almost finish the next chapter for this story, so i'll just see how people respond to this chapter, or story, and then i'll upload it for sure.

Btw, woahhhh, 6 reviews for the short chapter. I'm so happy I could cry! XD So thank you:

**LovinHoneyXDHoneyLovin** (sry to burst your bubble, but there won't be any drama between Kai, Cliff, and Claire. ^^;;)

**.Amberleaf.**

**teacupz**

**Gwendolyn368**

**Lov3yHart**

**Tara Blossom**

Thank you very much!! And i'm sorry for the wait, but here you go!! Chapter 2!! I hope it's okay!

Disclaimer: i dont own harvest moon. (they wont mind me putting it here would they? Whoever 'they' are...)


	4. Dangers of the Sea

Disclaimer: I dont own Harvest Moon. (Arent you guys just bored of this? I know i am...)

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III

Dangers of the Sea

"So Claire, you mind me askin' what is it you need from Cliff? Or better, how did you even know Cliff?" Zack started shooting questions, interrupting the silence on his boat.

"Oh…umm…we knew each other since we were young." Claire answered quietly, her eyes staring out into the open blue sea. Sheer silence took over again.

"I see, well since there's really nothing to do here, why don't you tell me how you met? I'd love to hear it." Zack's cheerful, masculine voice broke the silence once more. Claire glanced over at the captain of the boat and sighed, she wasn't really in the mood to talk, knowing that in a few hours or so, she's about to meet Cliff again. The only man she loved, and the one who broke her heart. It hurt a bit to talk about him, but it would seem rude in her opinion to decline the captain of the boat.

"Well, it was about…" She started.

_17 years ago when I was about five years old and a half, there was this festival in the mountains. It's where we give sacrifices, mostly food, to the Goddess that protects the mountain. That was during the day time, but at night the people would have a night market with lots of food stands and game stalls. My parents took me to the festival and in a frenzy, chaotic moment, I got lost from my parents. I think it was said that that day was when most kids got lost. Anyway, back to the story, I ended up in front of a curry booth that Cliff's mom works at. So now, I was separated from my parents, I didn't have any money on me, and I was starving, so my stomach growled at the sight of curry. Cliff, who was seven at that time, noticed me from behind the stall, gave me free curry and he helped me find my parents. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be able to find my parents. From that day on, we became friends. He was never really talkative, but I liked him a lot. He was always caring and protective when other boys bullied me. We attended the same school together and when we attended high school, I blurted out that I liked him and we started dating. But then his mother never approved of me, she said that I was a nuisance and a distraction for Cliff and his future and that he will end up wasting his days on the likes of me. I didn't really mind at first but then later Cliff started acting weird, he made himself even more distant from me, he stopped talking to me, and he doesn't take me out on dates. We never really went out on dates in the first place since his mother forbade him from doing so, but he sometimes secretly snuck out of his house to see me at night. _

"But then it was like the Cliff I knew just vanished in thin air one day, leaving only his empty shell. Then things got bad when I yelled at him…I shouldn't have. What kind of girlfriend am I to question his love for me? It shows that I don't trust him…I shouldn't have yelled. I was planning on apologizing the next day…but he was gone. His mother said that he took off. That's why I'm going to find him and demand an explanation." She finished, she sighed tiredly, brushing off a tear drop that was rolling down her cheek. Although she may look angry and frustrated with him, but she knew that he still lingered in her heart and that the old wounds from years ago were still unhealed.

"I see, well, I hope everything works out between you two. If this helps at all, he's still quiet, I mean, I don't see him talking to anyone at all but the priest." Zack gave her a comforting smile, patting her shoulder once.

Claire murmured a 'thanks'. Looking out of the boat, she noticed that it has already started to rain, did she talk that long without evening noticing the changing of the weather? It was hard to tell if the rain would get any worse since the sky was already so dark. She sighed, resting her head against her hand again before drifting to sleep.

The thunderous sounds of waves crashing and the booming screams of Zack woke her up. It wasn't long before she noticed that the drizzle has turned into a thunderstorm. Zack was still at the steering wheel, trying his best to take the both of them to safe land. The white flashes in the black clouds shrieked and sang as the light flashed in front of Claire's very eyes. The small boat was rocking side-to-side as the wave slapped over them, almost drowning her. She sputtered and chocked, managing to walk over to Zack, she shouted at the top of her lungs, "ARE WE ALMOST THERE??"

"KIND OF, WE'LL BE THERE IN ABOUT HALF AN HOUR…IF WE CAN MAKE IT THROUGH THE STORM!! I NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS, BETTER HOLD ONTO-" And before he finished, another wave drowned them. "-something." He finished. Claire coughed out as much sea water as she held onto a metal pole. It didn't seem like the storm was letting up, but only getting worse.

The boat continued to toss and turn against the tidal waves, as if it was a child having a bad dream, and the nightmares just kept on coming. Each wave was stronger than the previous, and the decks were wet and slippery from the attacks. Claire was giving it her all to just hold onto her metal pole. Even Zack was having a hard time just standing up straight.

With one last crash, the boat rocked hard to the side, crashing down into the sea. Claire screamed as she was shaken off, but it wasn't long before she hit the water and the liquid came slamming into her. The currents choked her with its taste, burning her open eyes, it swept her away from the boat and away from Zack. Just as he was about to swim after her, he fell unconscious when his head rammed into the boat, leaving him to float. Claire continued to struggle against the currents, but it was as if she was forbidden to go anywhere near Zack and the boat.

She swam for more than 20 minutes, trying to get near Zack, praying that he was still breathing. She could feel her eyes tiring and begging to rest, her arms and legs screaming to stop. Tears were starting to simmer from her eyes, she was so tired…she stopped moving, closing her eyes she allowed the waves to take her. Her last thoughts before she passed out completely were prayers that she and Zack survives, and one name.

_Cliff…_

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Hey guys, so here's the third chapter, no Cliff yet, but he's coming in the next chapter, so hold on. :) Yeah, sorry about the last chapter, it was a little boring, but I can assure you that it'll get better. Soon. Maybe. Hopefully. XD

So guys, please review, I only got one review for the last chapter, so it must have been either very boring or this story just sucks. lol.

But thank you Gwendolyn368 for your awesome review!! ;) You deserve a cookie!

See you guys soon. ;) Please review!


	5. Other Side of the Coin

**IV**

**Other Side of the Coin**

"Cliff"

Cliff gasped in shock at the sudden call of his name and turned around to see who it was. It was Carter. Not like that was so surprising, he was in the church and not many people come in the weekends. Except for Jeff, but they never talked.

"Carter! Um…do you need something?" Cliff asked through blurry eyes.

Carter's face saddened instantly, walking a bit closer to give Cliff a pat on the back.

"You're crying again." He stated simply, shocking Cliff with the statement. Ever since he moved from the mountains, there have been times when he suddenly cried for no reason whatsoever.

Actually…there was a reason. Claire.

Cliff looked back down at the floor and smiled sadly, wiping away a tear with the back of his fist. It has been 4 years now that he left his home in the mountains, left his mother, his family, and the only girl he ever loved. For 4 years, he has been crying silently from the pain that she left him, and for 4 years, he still loved her. He loved her every single torturous day that passed and longed for her every single second.

"Tell me about her." Carter said softly, taking a seat next to him. Cliff looked up, confused with what, or to be precise, _who_ Carter was talking about. Carter smiled kindly before answering Cliff's puzzled gaze. "Claire, tell me about her."

Questions about how Carter even knew Claire's name swirled in his head, threatening to burst through Cliff's lips, but instead, Cliff said, "It was about…"

_17 years ago I think. I was 7 years old and Claire was 5. Even before I even knew who she was or talked to her, I thought she was most beautiful girl in the village. She had the bluest eyes you'll ever see, the softest hair you'll ever feel, and the most angelic voice you'll ever hear. I had a major crush on her. _

_Every year, we have this festival in the village, and it was packed that year. I think it was said that that day was the day that most kids get lost. Anyway, back to the story, I was helping my mother with her curry stall when I saw Claire walking around, looking lost. Well, she was lost actually. Without a second thought, I ran up to her with a bowl of curry in my hand and gave it to her. I then helped her find her parents and we became friends ever since. _

_I was never that talkative nor was I popular, not like Claire. She was like a Goddess in the school. _

"Please refrain from using the Goddess's name in vain, Cliff." Carter interrupted.

"Sorry…"

_She was like the most beautiful girl in the school, and there I was, the silent friend who hangs with no one. And I still had a major crush on her. I knew at that time that she would never be with me, not when there were a thousand other guys (not literally thousand though, there weren't that many people in the school.) out there that can make her happy. But then in my senior year, when I was 18 and Claire 16, she told me she liked me and we started going out as a couple. Those days were the happiest days of my life. Unfortunately, my mother didn't like her as much as I did. She thought Claire was an obstacle, an anchor. She forbade me from going out on dates, if possible, she would have forbade me from even seeing Claire. But I used to sneak out of the house to go see her at night or we would sneak out of school some days to roam around in the mountain. Then the rumors started…_

"What rumors?" Elli, who came from nowhere, asked curiously.

Cliff stared at her for a moment, but then continued with the story.

_News about how I couldn't take her out on dates spread in the school, guys were talking behind my back, saying things like how I can never make her happy. And it was true. How could I make her happy when I can never take her out on dates or celebrate her birthday with her? Whenever I save money to take her somewhere, I lose it at the very last second, and whenever I buy her a gift, it disappears on her birthday. I was a bad boyfriend. Even though Claire always told me that it was okay and that she loved me, I know that one day, she'll be tired of having a guy like me as a boyfriend. _

_Then one day, my mother asked me to go into the woods to find her some mushrooms for dinner that evening. I did as she asked, but I found something else instead. I saw Claire standing alone and I was about to go say hi when another guy ran up to her. I stopped dead in my tracks, hiding behind a tree instead. I didn't hear or see what happened, but when I did turn back to look, that guy was kissing Claire. I was devastated, but I should have seen it coming. From that day, I started distancing myself away from Claire, using excuses whenever she asks to see me at night, and not answering whenever she asks something. Claire was probably also at her limits with me because one day she told me that she has had enough of me. I left the mountains the very next day to go the city, and it was the last time I ever saw her._

"And yet, until this very day, I still love her, I love her even more every second if possible." Cliff said quietly. Carter patted his back in consolation and Cliff looked up to smile to Carter…and Elli. Both Carter and Cliff stared at Elli in confusion, wondering why she was here in the first place. Elli wiped a tear from her eye, still touched with Cliff's story.

"Elli, why are you here?" Carter finally asked.

"Oh! Oh right, I'm sorry. Um, the Doctor asked me to come ask if Cliff could go to the clinic with me."

Carter and Cliff exchanged glances before looking back at Elli.

"Popuri and Rick found a girl washed up on the beach and she has been saying your name for some time now."

Cliff frowned a bit in confusion, a girl calling for him? If it wasn't Ann calling him to get Carter's lunch, then he doesn't know anyone else who would call him. He got up and silently followed Elli back to the clinic. When they got there, Elli motioned him to the bed that was behind the curtain. Cliff followed to where she pointed but when he saw who it was, his knees almost buckled, causing him to trip towards the bed.

He looked down at the woman laying dead (asleep) on the bed and said her name quietly as if it was a prayer.

"Claire…."

* * *

A/N: Yes yes, i know, i suck...I should've written this a lot faster, but here it is, the latest chapter and Cliff is finally in the scene. Thank you everyone who read this story, and especially thank you NaviIchigo for emailing me to continue this story. You know, i actually wrote like 3 more chapters for this story already, until my laptop broke that is. So now i'm trying to remember what the hell i wrote so i can re-write it again. I really will try to finish this story, so please stay tune.


	6. An Unwanted Dream Come True

**V**

**An Unwanted Dream Come True**

"Kai! Bro!" Denny called out excitedly as he ran to his cousin, Kai, who just came down from the boat. He dropped his fishing gear onto the sand and ran headlong down the pier to where Kai was standing.

"Denny! Dude!" Kai shouted back, laughing as they hugged each other, holding the other's hand and using the free hand to pat the each other's back. Hugging _bro style_.

"How are you, bro?" Denny asked, slapping Kai's back a few times as Kai carried his bag and started walking towards Denny's house. A beaten old shack that seems like it's gone through _too many _hardships. Kai was surprised it was still standing since the last time he was here. "How's Popuri? Still dating her?" Denny added, waggling his eyebrows in the process. Kai chuckled a bit, shaking his head a bit.

"No, we broke up. She was starting to ask me for jewelry and too much stuff." Kai answered, thinking back about the pink-haired girl who he once used to date. Things ended terribly. Denny patted his back in comfort.

"It's okay bro, you'll find someone else," Denny said, but one look at Kai's smile and he added, "Or did you already find someone? Dude! Tell me! Was she hot? Does she have a sister? Because I'm-"

But just before he was able to finish his sentence, Denny was hit hard on the head with a watering can. He whimpered in pain before turning back to stare at Chelsea, his wife.

"You're what?" Chelsea asked, her face smiling but her eyes asking _do you want to die?_

"N-Nothing baby. I was going to say….Because I'm in love with my wife, so don't even think about introducing anyone to me." Denny said, laughing nervously as he walked slowly to go hug his wife.

"Hey Chels." Kai greeted casually, giving the farmer a playful grin. "You know you could always dump his ass and we could elope together and see the world. I'm available."

"Aww, sorry Kai, but this loser-"

"Hey, I'm right here!" Denny complained.

"-has stolen my heart. I can't possibly go with you, but thanks for the offer." Chelsea finished, kissing a very happy Denny's cheek.

Kai playfully squeezed his chest and acted as if he was in pain.

"Oh no, I'm rejected."

They all laughed together before Chelsea changed the topic, "So Kai, how long are you staying this time?"

"Only a week or so probably, and then I'm going to Mineral Town. It's almost summer you know."

"That's too bad. Now who's hungry? We're having grilled fish!" Chelsea announced.

"Woooo! And this is why I love you!" Denny kissed Chelsea quickly before both making their way back to her farm hand in hand.

Kai sighed in boredom, ever since she married his cousin, all they eat was fish because it was Denny's favorite food. Kai slowly made his way to Chelsea's house, but stopping once to look back at the sea. He smiled, his mind drifting to Claire and their time on the boat. He'd just love to see her at least once more in this lifetime.

* * *

"Claire…" Cliff whispered softly, as if afraid that a mere loud word could break her. She just looked so fragile at the moment. He took one more step closer to her before his knees became weak and he fell down to his knees right beside her. "Is she-"

"No Cliff, she's not dead yet, but she's still unconscious at the moment." The Doctor stated as he stood at the back of Cliff like a professional. Cliff looked back at the Doctor, trying to hint that he wanted to be alone with Claire. Elli seemed to got the hint because she dragged the Doctor out right away. Cliff turned back to look at Claire, his hand stroking her pale and cold cheek.

Even though not dead, she could have been passed as a corpse. Her beautiful blue eyes were hidden behind her closed eye lids, blue veins visible on them. He skin was pale and white instead of the golden, tanned skin she used to possess. Her lips weren't the same rosy color Cliff remembered, but were tinted blue and dry from the cold. Her golden hair was sprayed all over the pillow and they were tangled in knots too. Cliff's eyebrows knitted together as he could only imagine about what she went through to become like this.

"Claire…wake up." He whispered again, his hands now gloving her hand that was lying across her stomach. "Please, wake up!" He begged again, his eyes now squeezed shut and tears on the verge of coming out. He couldn't bear to lose her, not like this.

"Cliff, we're going to close the clinic now-"

"Please Doctor, let me stay." Cliff begged, his stare not tearing away from Claire's face for one second. "I want to be here when she wakes up."

_If she wakes up_, both Elli and the Doctor thought sadly. Women who have been in the ocean for over 24 hours or more in the middle of autumn don't always wake up. It was a miracle that she washes up on the shore of Mineral Town, but do miracles occur twice?

The Doctor nodded, allowing Cliff to stay with Claire. He said goodbye to his nurse, locked the clinic's door, and made his way upstairs to his room, leaving Cliff alone with Claire.

For the next few hours, Cliff sat there, his hands holding Claire's and his eyes glued at her face. He has always been dreaming about the day they will one day meet again, but this was not how he imagined it to be. One of them almost broke and working in a dead end job while the other was unconscious and barely alive, definitely not how he planned it to be.

"Claire…don't leave me alone." He whispered once more before he fell asleep right next to her limp body, oblivious to the twitch she made with her eyes.

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon


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